Five $10,000 prizes to be conferred: The Guy Harvey Foundation Award, the Oceaneering Collegiate Award, the
Florida Ocean Economy Collegiate Award & 2 Ocean Exchange Collegiate Awards
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA – Ocean Exchange, a leader in supporting the acceleration of innovative solutions for healthy oceans and the sustainable blue economy, announces the selection of 10 collegiate finalists who will be vying for five $10,000 awards at the organization’s upcoming event, which takes place October 25-27 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
This year’s event marks the 11th anniversary of the Ocean Exchange Collegiate awards. All ten of the finalists are from North American universities and post secondary institutions. Solutions fall into the following categories: clean energy, data generation, water management, fishing, autonomy and robotics, and aquaculture.
Finalists include:
- EnviraCell, North Carolina State University: A novel, lithium-free battery technology.
- FathomWave LLC, University of Alaska Fairbanks: Physics-informed machine learning algorithm models that support navigation, infrastructure and emergency response.
- Kaiyu Oceans, University of Florida: High-resolution marine forecasts for boaters using data collected from sensors on fishing boats.
- Keloks Technologies Ltd, University of Vermont: Wastexus transforms wastewater into reusable irrigation water and nutrient-rich fertilizer
- Lumarinescent, St. Thomas University: Refillable bioluminescent lures for commercial fisheries.
- Noble Deep, College of the Canyons: AUV’s that inspect offshore infrastructure, staying on site year-round to detect damage early.
- Ocean Detect, University of Rhode Island: Analyzes underwater video to detect and classify marine species making monitoring more accessible for research and conservation.
- SeaHand Systems Inc., University of Prince Edward Island: A passive helical guide mounted to workboats that flips oyster cages using boat motion -no motors, hydraulics or electronics.
- The Captain Co., Florida Gulf Coast University: A circular system of responsible harvest, experience, art, food for people and nutrition for pets.
- VIVISTRA Inc., Georgia Institute of Technology: Non-destructive structural health assessment for critical metallic infrastructure of ships, offshore platforms, and ports.
The five winners will be chosen—based on the impact, level of innovation, and the ability to execute the presented solution—by delegates representing business, academia, government, and nonprofits.
The Ocean Exchange Collegiate Awards Program is made possible by the support of sponsors, partners and leading industry experts from around the globe. “These awards are wildly popular with our ocean community, not just about the student-led innovation but about the ability to personally engage with and be inspired by the next generation,” noted Millicent Pitts, CEO of Ocean Exchange. Ocean Exchange brings the finalists to Fort Lauderdale to pitch in front of and network with the leaders who gather in South
Florida from around the world.
For more information about the event and Ocean Exchange’s mission, visit the Ocean Exchange website.
About Ocean Exchange
Ocean Exchange is a global ecosystem whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions for healthy oceans and the sustainable blue economy by providing monetary awards, connecting innovators with experts, and promoting breakthrough technologies through a global ecosystem. Ocean Exchange is part of the Marine Technology
Society, a 501(c)(3) that advances marine technology by fostering collaboration among industry, academia, and government.
Media Contact:
Susan Zellers, Ocean Exchange Program Director
+1-267-844-2269
susan.zellers@oceanexchange.or